Mediterranean Marvels

Hey there!  I hope that this post finds you in good health, good spirits, and surrounded by light and love.  The Mediterranean summer has certainly been scorching and I've been spending lots of time outdoors in our amazing ports of call.  I have been wearing sunscreen (don't worry, Grandma!) and a hat, but I am still reaching a lovely shade of burnt sienna.  Just this morning, as I was getting my hair cut in the ship salon, the barber asked me if I was Puerto Rican.  Puerto Rican!  I told him no and he asked again.  Apparently he thought I might be unclear of my heritage.  I assured him that, to the best of my knowledge, there is no Hispanic blood in my family.  He didn't seem to believe me.  I guess I should come back and see him after a winter in New York.  He would most likely ask if I were of Scandinavian descent.  Does this mean I should put "ethnically ambiguous" on my resume?  Maybs.

Since my last update, I have been to the Greek island of Thira (Santorini), Catania (Sicily), Naples (Italy), and Civitavecchia (Rome, Italy).  Each experience in these ports was wonderful, although some were longer and more exciting than others.  I'll take a cue from "The Sound of Music" and start at the very beginning, it is a wonderful place to start after all.

Thira (Santorini) is an absolutely magical port.  It is an island formed by a volcanic eruption.  The city's structure rests on the top and sides of very high cliffs in the form of a giant circle.  It is believed to have been the inspiration for the tale of the Lost City of Atlantis, despite what you might have read in "Tales of the City."  Patrick (the leading man of the cast), Sabrina (one of my singing/dancing counterparts), and myself took a cable car ride to the top of the city and started to wander up and down the endless alleyways lined with cafes, shops, and people pedaling handmade goods on card tables or blankets.  We happened upon a very modern cafe and enjoyed some Greek coffee and complimentary WiFi access.  After hours of window shopping and tasting some local wines (which were divine!), we decided to eat at a restaurant that The Travel Channel and Anthony Bourdain recommended.  The food and the service were beyond my expectations for a bustling tourist port.  The meal ended with complimentary Limoncello, a lemon liqueur, and a delicious chocolate dessert.  It was the perfect end to a relaxing day in one of the most beautiful places I have been privileged to visit.

Arriving to the island from the ship

Patrick and I with our ship in the background

Oia, the area across the island from where the ships anchor

                   

Catania is a rather large city on the island of Sicily.  I was surprised at just how large it was considering that in all my travels through the Mediterranean, I had never ported there.  Patrick and myself got off, consulted a map, and decided to just see where we ended up.  (A side-note about Patrick.  Patrick is a genius at simply looking at a map and knowing how to navigate a city.  I thought that my sense of direction was above average, but his is exponentially beyond average.  In essence, I never worry about getting lost in port thanks to Patrick and his "Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego"-ready map skills.)  We made our way through some winding streets toward the main street that runs the length of the "downtown" area.  Along the way we found a beautiful cathedral and stopped to take a look inside.  We also found the campus of a university and what we told ourselves was the student housing area.  It was the seemingly "hip" area with lots of graffiti.  We finally ended up on the "main drag" and found some stores that were having decent sales.  I purchased not one, but two pair of swimming trunks.  I have decided, with much encouragement from certain cast members, to spend more time in the water.  Swimming is just an activity that has fallen off of my radar over the years.  However, the time has come to put down the beach chair and pick up the aquatics.  Where was I?  Oh, yes, Catania.  After a bit of shopping, we made our way back to the ship.  Along the way, we found a fruit stand on the side of the road where we purchased fresh figs.  Have you ever had a fig that was not contained in a Newmanesque cake?  If your answer is no, you must go directly to the grocery store and get some!  They are delicious.  They are sweet, refreshing, and not to be missed.  I cannot believe that it has taken me 28 years to actually try one, but now I am hooked.

The student housing are in Catania...obviously.

                  


Naples, Italy has a feel and style all of its own.  When I compared it to the other Italian ports I've visited, I found it to be more audacious and a bit grittier.  My goal for the day was to take Patrick and Sabrina to a restaurant, Fratelli La Bufala, that my friend, David, took me to on a previous contract.  However, they did not begin serving lunch until 1pm.  We got there around 11:30 and were in no mood or condition to wait that long without sustenance.  We opted for a cafe next door with the thought to have a little nosh and then walk straight over when "Fratelli" began serving.  We enjoyed some bruschetta, Caprese salad, gnocchi, and espresso galore.  Some of our fellow cast mates stopped by our table and told us that we should check out this beautifully-built mall nearby, so we did!  The architecture of this mall was exquisite.  It was full of commercial name brand stores as well as a few small boutiques native to Naples.  (Ian and Joe, if you're reading this, you will be pleased to know that I made some quality selections at Zara.)  We quickly ran out of time before we had to be back on the ship, and by that time we had lost Sabrina.  (Sabrina is a wonderful young lady and has a delightfully free spirit, but she does tend to dart off into stores or alleyways lined with hats or jewelry.  Perhaps I should buy her a necklace with a bell or bells on it, you know, to save time in finding her.)  Patrick and I made it back to the ship and discovered that Sabrina had been looking for us at Fratelli La Bufala, which we did not make it back to.  So, there was no harm done and we were all back on the ship safe and sound.



Rome, the Eternal City, is absolutely breathtaking.  The ship itself ports in Civitavecchia, so you must take a train into Rome proper.  Patrick and Jaclyn (the leading lady of my cast) were able to get off the ship very early, hop on a train and head straight to The Colosseum.  However, I had an Abandon Ship Drill and was not able to get off until around 11:30am.  As soon as my drill was finished, I got off and navigated my way through the Italian train system and met Patrick and Jaclyn at St. Peter's Basilica.  Standing in the huge expanse of stone where the Pope greets thousands of people was a surreal experience.  From there we headed over to Castel Sant'Angelo, (the headquarters for The Illuminati in the "The Da Vinci Code" series) which is everything you would expect an ancient castle to be.  Next on our self-guided, nay Patrick-guided, tour was The Pantheon.  I could not believe that I was standing in The Pantheon!  The light pouring in from the single opening in the center of the rotunda was as strong as a spot light in our theater.  The interior architecture and iconic religious artwork was equally as powerful.  Upon leaving we saw a man dressed in full Gladiator regalia sitting on the steps eating a sandwich.  Hey, even Gladiators need a lunch break!  Fighting off lions must create one heck of an appetite.  Moving along!  We took ourselves over to Fontana di Trevi, or simply the Trevi Fountain where those immortal three coins sought their own happiness.  The steps surrounding this incredibly ornate wonder were crawling with hopeful tourists tossing coins into the water, hopeful that their wishes would be granted.  Did I make a wish?  You had better believe it!  My coin even made it into the water, which is apparently not the case for everyone.  By this point, the late afternoon sun was telling us that we had better make a move toward the train station and begin our journey back to our floating home.  We arrived at the train station just as a train bound for Civitavecchia (and our ship) was leaving.  The next scheduled train departure was only 20 minutes, so we thought we were golden.  Well, we did not take into account, nor even imagine the possibility that a man would decide to lie down dangerously close to the tracks and cause train in both directions to stop.  The time that we had to be back on the ship was growing closer and closer, so we had no choice but to leave the station and find a taxi to drive us all the way back.  Fortunately there was one waiting just outside the station, and for 120 Euro, we were off zipping through the streets of Rome on our way home.  Everything seemed to be going well until we reached the road that was meant to take us directly to the port gate.  The road had been closed and there was a detour route.  However, our driver did not follow the detour.  Our driver decided to turn in the opposite direction and take us further from where we NEEDED to be in less than 15 minutes.  (Allow me a moment to describe the severity of the issue of being onboard at the correct time.  If a crew member misses the all-aboard time, three things could happen.  One, the port agent delivers your passport to you and you are responsible for making your own way to the next port of call.  Two, you are allowed back onboard and will face disciplinary action from the Captain.  Three, your contract will be terminated and you will have to pay for your own way home.  In short, you do NOT want to miss the all-aboard time.)  The driver finally delivered us at the port gate and we began to sprint to the ship.  As we passed other ships in the port, onlookers began cheering from the outside decks as if we were carrying the Olympic torch.  As we were almost to our ship a port shuttle bus stopped to pick us up.  We were relieved that we could finally stop our tribute to Forrest Gump and hopped happily onto the bus.  The bus then proceeded to travel AWAY from our ship.  At this point we had mere minutes before we had to be back onboard.  The three of us began pleading with the driver to turn around, which he finally did.  We arrived back on the ship at 7:27 and the all-aboard time was 7:30.  I believe that I now know what it must be like to suffer from IBS.  *Phew*

St. Peter's Basilica...serving up Papal realness.

Trevi Fountain.  I mean, it's really just your average drinking fountain.

                


So, all in all things are going quite well here on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam.  We are about to receive a new cast member as my counterpart, the other male singer / dancer, was a replacement and could only stay for a month.  So, with a new cruise about to begin, so does another round of installation rehearsals.  You know what they say, there' s no business like show business.  I am hoping that this new phase of transition goes as smoothly as our first, but through it all I am praying to maintain a spirit of gratitude and focus.

For those of you that have made it this far down, thanks for sticking it out!  Take care of yourselves and remember to take some time to find the magic in each and every day.

But for now, until then,

Joey

"What Do You Say to Taking Chances?" or "Have You Jumped Off a Cliff Today?" or "Such Great Heights"

The soles of my feet are being warmed by the rough and pointed edge of the cliff.  The midday sun seems to hurl its rays upon me and I feel the weight of their heat.  Before me lies a beautiful, slivery-blue horizon, dotted with a few sailboats and kayaks carrying contented tourists to adventures unknown.  Below me I see the waves crashing against the large, jagged, algae-covered boulders on which I am attempting not to land.  I move my feet backward and forward, simply changing which foot is in front of me.  I am most assuredly stalling for I know what I am about to do and it terrifies me.  I steal a glance down to my right to the large rock where a group of people with whom I have been spending the day with stand almost at attention, awaiting my decision.  I continue to stall by looking in every direction including down, which is the one direction I should have skipped.  I lift my eyes upward and stare at that shining horizon with its inviting haze and tell myself it's now or never.  I close my eyes, summon any available strength in my legs, and leap from the rock.  The Adriatic Sea envelops me in a chilly hug as if I've just met a dear friend in the frozen food section of my local supermarket.  The adrenaline pumping through my entire body worries me as its intensity feels electric.  The sea is really the last place one should be when feeling electric, unless you are an eel...obviously.  I swim out a little farther from the point where my relationship with my new friend the sea began and I begin to tread water, which is an exercise that I had not done in quite some time.  I look back at the rock where friends, old and new, stand smiling, thus validating the fact that I had just taken a step in overcoming one of my greatest fears.  I continue to alternate between bobbing and floating in my new salty surroundings for what feels like an hour yet no more than two minutes at the same time.  As my legs grow weary from staying afloat, I head back to the same algae-covered rocks that had only moments before filled me with dread and lift myself onto the welcome warmth of the rock.  The rest of the day is spent walking the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, laughing at the silliest of jokes, and tasting some delicious local produce.

I may not have completely conquered my fear of heights, but I took step, nay leap toward it.

May laughter surround you, sunshine warm you, and blessings sustain you until we meet again.

-Joey